Midwest BankCentre Helping the Region’s Hispanic Community Thrive

AT MIDWEST BANKCENTRE OUR PURPOSE IS TO HELP OUR REGIONAL COMMUNITIES THRIVE.

We are a values-based bank that believes that everyone must have access to capital to build a fulfilling, selfdetermined life. Our ultimate mission is to improve the economic vitality of the region so we can all DREAM BIG and RISE TOGETHER.

The Hispanic community has and continues to play a vital role in enriching the region.

While the overall population in the St. Louis region has barely budged in the past 10 years, there has been robust growth in minority communities, particularly Latinos whose population grew nearly 50% in the past decade across the 14-county St. Louis region. The Hispanic community added about 35,000 people to eclipse a total of 100,000 people. In addition, half are home owners and almost 95% of all Hispanic eligible workers are employed. We celebrate the vibrancy of the Hispanic community which is adding to the economy, paying taxes and making neighborhoods stronger. At the same time, we recognize the diverse needs within the Hispanic community. While some are here on work visas holding professional positions at our leading businesses and organizations, others have fled their home countries with the hope they can begin a new life and future for their families. We have built a team that understands where people are and helps them get to where they want to go.

Midwest BankCentre employs eight Spanish-speaking colleagues. Four of them work face-to-face with customers to ease any communication barriers.

The bank offers the most robust line of ITIN products that enables customers to gain a foothold on their financial futures. As a financial partner we can support short term needs as well as long-term dreams. These include:

£ Free checking accounts with low or no minimum balance £ Credit Booster CD loans that establish your credit history while you save

£ Checking Accounts that rebuild your credit score in case it is low or if you don’t have a financial history

£ Auto refinancing options with lower interest rates

£ Pay Day Alternative loans to access short-term emergency cash at a lowinterest rate

£ Personal Unsecured Emergency

Loans to access emergency funds for longer-term needs

£ Business loans for ITIN entrepreneurs

£ Low-interest mortgage loans

£ Home Equity Lines of Credit and

Home Equity Loans to pay for home improvements, your children’s college education, or to consolidate highinterest debts

£ Youth savings accounts with no monthly service charge or minimum balance to prepare your kids for a lifetime of savings

Midwest BankCentre’s commitment to its mission extends to the entire region and is backed by bold actions. In 2021 Midwest BankCentre announced a commitment to lend $200 million over a five-year period to people, non-profits, faith-based institutions, community development projects and small businesses in underinvested communities. These community and development efforts allow the Bank to be an important player in scalable community high impact developments.

Its commitment to the Hispanic community also includes support to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, serving as title sponsor for the HCC Foundation Golf Tournament since 2017, title sponsor of the Hispanic Working Women event yearly since 2016, and providing financial education to the community in various occasions, most recently, with the Small Business Academy. The Bank is proud to be recognized by its peers, customers and employees as a leading community bank. For two consecutive years, Midwest BankCentre was named Best Places to Work. It was voted 2022 Best Small Bank by Small Business Monthly.

It won the Focus St. Louis’ prestigious What’s Right with the Region Award —Enhancing Regional Prosperity and recently won Champion for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award from the St. Louis Business Journal.

The viability of our region matters. The wealth and well-being or our Hispanic community matters. And where you bank matters.

Midwest BankCentre, Karlos Ramirez, VP Community Engagement and Business Development Karlos Ramirez is Vice President of the Community Engagement and Business Development team having previously served for five years as President and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HCC), and five years as Executive Director. Karlos understands the concerns faced by business owners and entrepreneurs who are unfamiliar and somewhat wary of the U.S banking systems.

The Bank helps Hispanic business owners learn more about how to work with a banking partner, how to manage cash flow and how to secure lines of credit to pursue bigger contracts.

Karlos also leverages the vast trust he has established in the community to connect people with each other for mutual benefit.

Midwest BankCentre, Karlos Ramirez, VP Community Engagement and Business Development

314.633.6076

kramirez@midwestbankcentre.com

midwestbankcentre.com